Meet the USJLP Class of 2025

First Year Delegate (2025, 2026)

Program Director, New Mexico Community Capital;
Indigenous Community Coach, Grow with Google

(Albuquerque, NM)

Henry Jake Foreman, MCRP, is a specialist in facilitating engaging learning. He develops curricula for digital literacy and entrepreneurship. As Program Director of New Mexico Community Capital, he manages the Business & Marketing Essentials course, aiding Native entrepreneurs and farmers build a solid foundation for business growth and personal financial success. Since 2019, Jake has participated in the Indian Country Digital Trainers program with the National Congress of American Indians and is the first Grow with Google Coach for Indigenous Communities.

First Year Delegate (2025, 2026)

Founder and CEO, Class A Insurance;
Founder and Chairman, Dana Holdings

(Dallas, TX)

Mark Haidar is a visionary entrepreneur with 20+ years of experience in technology and business. He is the Founder and CEO of Class A Insurance and Founder and Chairman of Dana Holdings. Previously, he co-founded Dialexa, which developed 200+ products before its acquisition by IBM. He serves on the boards of Vinli, WNDYR, Rosy, Aim7, Class A, Dusk, With Honor, and XPRIZE. A Presidential Leadership Scholar, angel investor, and commercial pilot, Mark holds multiple patents and has been recognized as EY Entrepreneur of the Year for his impact on innovation and business.

First Year Delegate (2025, 2026)

Co-Founder and CEO
Oishii

(Jersey City, NJ)

Hiroki Koga is the Co-founder and CEO of Oishii, the world’s largest indoor vertical strawberry farm. A vertical farming expert with over a decade of experience, Hiroki previously worked at Deloitte Consulting Japan, where he helped lead the company’s entry into agtech. He also advised venture capital firms on vertical farm-related investments. Since founding Oishii in 2016, Hiroki has been transforming how food is grown—blending Japanese farming techniques with cutting-edge technology. Born in Tokyo, Hiroki holds an MBA from UC Berkeley and a B.S. in economics from Keio University. He currently lives in New Jersey with his wife and two children.

First Year Delegate (2025, 2026)

Economist, JERA Global Institute
JERA Co., Inc.

(Tokyo)

Keii Konishi is an economist, consultant, and researcher focusing on energy business including energy transition and sustainability strategy. He holds a Ph.D. in energy science and has over 15 years of extensive research and advisory experience. His lifelong aspiration has been to serve as a catalyst to drive sustainable development and energy transition globally. Currently he is one of the core members of JERA Global Institute, which is an internal think tank for JERA, one of the largest utility companies in Japan, providing one third of the country’s electricity.  In his role at JERA Global Institute, he leads scenario development, macroeconomic analysis on the U.S., and model development, including energy system model.

First Year Delegate (2025, 2026)

CEO, Legacies of War
Chair, U.S. Campaign to Ban Landmines & Cluster Munition Coalition

(Columbus, OH)

Sera Koulabdara serves as CEO of Legacies of War, an advocacy and educational organization working to resolve the impacts of wars in Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam through advocating for U.S. funds for global humanitarian demining, victims' assistance, and explosive ordnance risk education.  She is also the Chair of the U.S. Campaign to Ban Landmines and Cluster Munition Coalition, Co-Chair of the War Legacies Working Group, and a founding member of the Global Leadership Council. As a leading expert in mine action, Sera has been featured in prominent media outlets like The New York Times, The Washington Post, and more.

First Year Delegate (2025, 2026)

Science Communication Fellow, Howard Hughes Medical Institute;
Explorer, National Geographic

(Kensington, MD)

Dr. Reyhaneh (Rey) Maktoufi is an Iranian-American National Geographic Explorer, a published researcher and science communicator focused on popularizing the science of science communication. She is the co-producer, host, and illustrator of PBS NOVA's digital series Sciencing Out, a mini-series celebrating female science communicators and their communication strategies. She is currently an HHMI—Center for Advancement of Science Leadership and Culture Fellow, where she is designing science communication training programs and strategy. Through her previous fellowship with Tangled Bank Studios, Rey has been working extensively with science media communities, helping storytellers to design effective messaging and building trust with audiences.

First Year Delegate (2025, 2026)

Founder and Representative Director, ViVarsity (NPO)
Founder and CEO, link design lab
(Okazaki, Aichi)

Haruka Nagao founded ViVarsity (NPO) in 2010 and link design lab in 2018 to support immigrants in Japan and promote multicultural understanding. Based in Okazaki, near Toyota City, her organization assists foreign residents who settle in Japan long-term. It organizes life-skills seminars, after-school programs, and online multicultural courses to foster connection and inclusion. It also provides consultation and technical support for businesses hiring immigrants. In 2018, ViVarsity received the Children, Families, and Youth Support Award from Japan’s Cabinet Office.

First Year Delegate (2025, 2026)

Artist;
CEO, MAGO CREATON and MAGO MOTORS LTD

(Tokyo)

Mago Nagasaka is a sustainable artist, entrepreneur, and investor. He founded Mago Creation in 2016, transforming e-waste from Agbogbloshie, Ghana, into art to promote sustainable capitalism. The proceeds of his art sales generate $6 million annually, funding free schools, recycling factories, farms, and soccer projects. He is also the CEO of Mago Motors, focusing on EVs and sustainable farming. Recognized globally, he will join Stanford APARC as a visiting scholar next year. His mission is to create a circular economy and a sustainable future through art and business.

First Year Delegate (2025, 2026)

Counsellor
Embassy of Japan in the United States

(Washington, DC)

Tomonori Niho is a career diplomat of the government of Japan. He is currently serving as a counsellor at the Embassy of Japan in Washington, D.C. focusing on political-military affairs. After joining Japan’s Foreign Ministry in 2007, he has covered a wide range of issues such as Japan-U.S. security relations, North Korea, nuclear disarmament and arms control, and international maritime law. He also served at the National Security Secretariat of Japan covering the relations with the U.S., India and Southeast Asia. He holds a B.A. from Kyoto University and an M.A. from the Fletcher School at Tufts University.

First Year Delegate (2025, 2026)

Co-founder
Robust Intelligence

(San Francisco, CA)

Kojin is a co-founder of Robust Intelligence, an AI security startup based in San Francisco. The company raised $60M, led by Sequoia Capital and Tiger Global, and was trusted by leading companies, including JPMorgan Chase, Apple, IBM, Intuit, and the U.S. Department of Defense. In September 2024, he sold Robust Intelligence to Cisco and now leads its AI organization. Kojin is recognized as Forbes 30 Under 30 in North America and Japan. He spent most of his childhood in Tokyo, Japan, until he moved to the U.S. to attend Harvard University, where he obtained a degree in computer science and statistics.

First Year Delegate (2024, 2025)

Global Policy Team Lead, Play and Android, Google LLC;
Advisor, Marketplace Risk Conference

(New York, NY)

Reirui leads the work on platform governance, fighting trust and safety abuse, and regulatory compliance for Google Play and Android, Google’s leading mobile ecosystem. Prior to her current role, she led tech policy advocacy for copyright and emerging technologies (AR/VR, autonomous vehicles) across the Asia Pacific region. Reirui started her career as a management consultant at the Boston Consulting Group, specializing in product development and global market expansion. She currently serves on the advisory board of the Marketplace Risk Conference. Reirui is a graduate of the University of Tokyo and the Stanford Law School.

First Year Delegate (2025, 2026)

Founder, Representative Director of Catalyst Kyushu;
Curator, Global Shapers Community Fukuoka

(Fukuoka City, Fukuoka)

Ayano Sasaki is the Representative Director of Catalyst Kyushu, working to make Kyushu a strategic geopolitical and business hub in Asia. Having grown up in Kyushu, she is committed to revitalizing Japan from the region and strengthening ties with Asia. She also serves as Curator of Global Shapers Community Fukuoka. Born in Nagasaki, she developed a deep interest in global security and diplomacy, serving as an organizer for the Japan-America Student Conference. She studied at Kyushu University and the University of Hong Kong, later earning a master’s degree from Tsinghua University as a Schwarzman Scholar. A former BCG consultant, she focused on public sector projects.

First Year Delegate (2025, 2026)

Hawaii State House Representative for District 21
Hawaii State House of Representatives

(Honolulu, HI)

Jackson Sayama serves as the State House Representative for District 21 in the State of Hawaii. After graduating from NYU Shanghai, Jackson returned home and was elected to represent his home district. He credits his political success to his training in Kendo, Zen, and Chado at Chozen-ji. During his 5 years of public service, Jackson served as Vice-Chair for Labor & Tourism and the Consumer Protection Committees. He currently serves as Chair of the Labor Committee.

First Year Delegate (2025, 2026)

Mayor
Ashiya City

(Ashiya, Hyogo)

Born in Osaka in 1997, Ryosuke was elected Mayor of Ashiya City, Hyogo—becoming Japan's youngest mayor in May 2023. He is dedicated to reforming public education and engaging in community development centered around dialogue with a broad spectrum of ages, particularly emphasizing the youth. Ryosuke earned an A.B. in Environmental Science and Engineering from Harvard College in 2022. While at Harvard, he led Ryu-fellow, an educational non-profit that nurtures future global leaders for seven years. He also joined MEXT's Central Council for Education as a specialist committee member in 2025 to help shape the national curricula.

First Year Delegate (2025, 2026)

Founder, Artistic Leadership ;
Recording Artist

(Winston Salem, NC)

Tiffany Thompson leads at the hinge of artistry and analysis. Her artistic body of work spans music composition, essay writing, and contemporary Kintsugi, while her analytical curiosity propelled her from the Central Intelligence Agency to executive leadership facilitation and non-profit management in New York City. In 2021, Tiffany founded Artistic Leadership to help organizations unleash creative collaboration in service of culture. She partners with academic institutions, multinational companies, leadership programs, social impact nonprofits, and religious communities. Tiffany's global perspective was shaped growing up in Moscow, Russia, and she loves living in the lush landscape of North Carolina.  

First Year Delegate (2025, 2026)

Vice President and Chief of Staff, Hydra Host;
Pine Township Chair, Porter County Government

(Beverly Shores, IN)

Nathan Uldricks is a nationally recognized tech and operations executive and policymaker. He is a local elected official in his hometown in Indiana. Professionally, he is Vice President and Chief of Staff of Hydra Host, a cybersecurity and AI tech startup. He previously held senior leadership roles in the U.S. federal government at the U.S. Department of Defense, Office of Management and Budget, and the Department of Labor.  He holds an M.B.A. from the University of Virginia, an M.A. in government from Johns Hopkins University, and a B.S. in Industrial Engineering from Purdue University. He lives with his wife and son in Indiana and serves as a volunteer firefighter, master naturalist, and Chairman of the Porter County Republican Party.

First Year Delegate (2025, 2026)

Founder and Representative Director, ReBit;
Director, Pride House Tokyo

(Tokyo / Osaka)

Mika is the Founder and Representative Director of ReBit, one of Japan’s largest non-profits addressing LGBTQ issues, and a Director of Pride House Tokyo, Japan’s first LGBTQ center. A certified social worker and mental health professional, he supports children, youth, and career development. He has conducted 2,200+ LGBTQ and diversity trainings, provided educational materials to schools, and advised companies and governments. His career support initiatives have assisted 12,000+ LGBTQ individuals and hosted a major diversity career forum with 600,000+ participants. In 2021, he launched Japan’s first LGBTQ-friendly welfare service, supporting employment for LGBTQ individuals with mental or developmental disabilities.

First Year Delegate (2025, 2026)

Drummer (RADWIMPS);
Founder and CEO, BEAT ICE;
Visiting Researcher, Keio Research Institute at SFC, Keio University

(Hayama, Kanagawa)

Satoshi is a professional drummer, music science researcher, and entrepreneur. He had been active as RADWIMPS' drummer since his teens but was diagnosed with musicians’ dystonia, forcing him to take a hiatus in 2015. Currently, he researches drummers’ dystonia at Keio University while working toward his return to the stage, collaborating with YAMAHA to develop "VXD," a voice-controlled drumming interface. Additionally, he founded BEAT ICE, a plant-based ice cream business made from koji to support rice terrace conservation. This initiative has been featured in elementary school textbooks nationwide and has received an award from Japan’s Ministry of the Environment.

First Year Delegate (2025, 2026)

Documentary Filmmaker;
President, Cineric Creative Japan

(Tokyo)

Ema Ryan Yamazaki is a documentary filmmaker. Her directed works include; Oscar-nominated INSTRUMENTS OF A BEATING HEART and THE MAKING OF A JAPANESE, examining Japanese elementary school education; KOSHIEN: JAPAN'S FIELD OF DREAMS, exploring the phenomenon of high school baseball. Ema's work has been on outlets such as HBO, PBS, ESPN, and NHK. She also edited Shiori Ito’s Oscar-nominated BLACK BOX DIARIES. Raised in Osaka by a Japanese mother and British father, Ema attended NYU and lived in New York for a decade. She now resides in Tokyo telling stories from the perspective of an insider and outsider in Japan.

Second Year Delegate (2022, 2025)

Chief of Public Policy and Witness
The Episcopal Church

(New York, NY)

Rebecca Linder Blachly is the Chief of Public Policy and Witness for The Episcopal Church. In this role, she leads government, multi-lateral and private sector engagement, as well as global and Anglican Communion partnerships. Prior to joining The Episcopal Church, she was the Senior Policy Advisor in the Office of Religion and Global Affairs at the U.S. Department of State. She has also held positions in the Department of Defense, including as Acting Chief of the Strategic Communication Division at U.S. Africa Command, and in Office of the Secretary of Defense for Policy. She is a recipient of the Office of the Secretary of Defense Medal for Exceptional Public Service. Ms. Blachly received her B.A. in philosophy from Williams College, and her M.Div. from Harvard University.

Second Year Delegate (2024, 2025)

Juris Doctor Candidate
Yale Law School

(New Haven, CT)

Justin Chock is a Yale Law School student and a 1L summer associate with Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP. Previously, he served in the U.S. Navy as a Lieutenant Commander with assignments as a Navy Fellow with the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, an instructor in Political Science and Cyber Science with the U.S. Naval Academy, the Chief Military Liaison for the U.S. Forces Japan J2 Intelligence Directorate, and the Gunnery and Ordnance Officer onboard USS Chung-Hoon (DDG 93). He received an MPhil in International Relations from Oxford University.

Second Year Delegate (2024, 2025)

Founder and CEO, Blue Lotus Strategies;
Doris Duke Distinguished Visiting Fellow, McCourt School of Public Policy, Georgetown University

(Washington, DC)

Indivar Dutta-Gupta, a leading national expert and policy influencer on U.S. economic policy, has dedicated two decades to developing and enacting social and economic reforms that address economic, racial, and gender disparities. His experience spans roles as a consultant, Congressional aide, think tank researcher and executive director, and senior campaign policy volunteer. He is frequently quoted by the media. Currently, he is a Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington Economic Fellow, a Roosevelt Institute Fellow, a National Academy of Social Insurance Distinguished Visiting Fellow, and a Georgetown University McCourt School of Public Policy Doris Duke Distinguished Visiting Fellow.

Second Year Delegate (2024, 2025)

Co-Founder & Chairman, Zehitomo;
Venture Partner, Antler Japan

(Tokyo)

Jordan Fisher is Co-Founder and Chairman of Zehitomo, Japan’s marketplace for local services. From home renovations to karaoke coaches, Zehitomo provides a platform to match with 600+ types of service professionals. Jordan is also Venture Partner at Antler Japan, supporting and investing in ambitious founders from Day Zero. Previously, Jordan was Vice President at J.P. Morgan in Tokyo, working in Fixed Income Technology and Equities Sales Trading. Born and raised in New York, Jordan holds a B.S. Computer Science from the University of Southern California. He is also a loving husband, and a father to two young daughters.

Second Year Delegate (2024, 2025)

Partner
The Management Center

(Los Angeles, CA)

Cosmo Fujiyama Ghaznavi is a Partner at The Management Center where she leads partnerships with major philanthropic foundations and has trained over 4,000 nonprofit and social justice leaders. Previously, she co-founded a non-profit in Honduras improving access to education for youth and served as Managing Director of the University of Pennsylvania’s Center for Social Impact Strategy. As a Reynolds Fellow in Social Entrepreneurship, Cosmo earned her M.P.A. in Nonprofit Management from New York University and a B.A. in American Studies and Women’s Studies from the College of William and Mary.

Second Year Delegate (2024, 2025)

Lieutenant Colonel; F-35 Instructor Pilot; Commander 60th Fighter Squadron
U.S. Air Force

(Okaloosa Island, FL)

Hunter "Felon" Grunden is an F-35 Instructor and Evaluator Pilot. He commands the "Fighting Crows" of the 60th Fighter Squadron at Eglin Air Force Base. Hunter was an Olmsted Scholar in France, where he studied geopolitics at Sciences Po in Aix-en-Provence. Before flying the F-35, Hunter was an F-15C fighter pilot stationed in Okinawa, Japan. Hunter earned an M.A. in Arab Studies from Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service. His Air Force journey at the U.S. Air Force Academy, where he served as the Cadet Wing Commander.

Second Year Delegate (2024, 2025)

Lead Project Coordinator and Senior Policy Analyst on Data Free Flow with Trust
Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)

(Paris, France)

Maiko Meguro is Lead Project Coordinator and Senior Policy Analyst at the OECD on the Free Flow of Data with Trust. Previously, she was Director of International Data Strategy and Multilateral Cooperation at the Digital Agency of Japan, where she acted as the G7/G20 representative for Digital Tech track and led multilateral and bilateral digital cooperation efforts on data governance. She also has experience in international law practice with the WTO Dispute Settlement Body, Economic Partnership Agreements (including TPP) and the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change. She is also a research fellow in public international law and legal theory at the University of Amsterdam and has published in major American, European and Japanese law journals.

Second Year Delegate (2024, 2025)

Producer, AMEBA GLOBE / Editor-in-chief, AMEBA HILLS, AMEBA NEWS, TV-Asahi;
Co-Founder & Board Member, Japan Women Journalists Association

(Tokyo)

Yuka Mizoue has worked for TV-Asahi as a TV journalist and documentary filmmaker for 20 years. Her passion and life mission is to promote gender equality in Japan through journalism. She has recently been recognized with the Media Ambitious Award for her documentary Sexism: The Real Truth Behind Japanese Politics, which focuses on women's barriers to politics in Japan. She is now a producer and editor-in-chief for a daily news program, leading the coverage on women and childcare. She is also an active leader in advancing gender equality in the newsroom and recently co-founded the Japanese Women Journalist Association. She holds a B.A. from Doshisha University and studied documentary filmmaking at the University of California, San Diego.

Second Year Delegate (2024, 2025)

5th Generation CEO
HAMASA-EN Co., Ltd.

(Tokyo / Shizuoka City, Shizuoka)

Toru Nanami, the fifth-generation owner of HAMASA-EN CO., LTD., a family-owned Japanese tea company established in 1865, hails from Shizuoka, Japan. Beginning his international journey at 14, he studied in Canada and earned a B.Com. from the University of British Columbia. He started his career at Morgan Stanley, working in New York, London, and Tokyo for five years. Now, he leads HAMASA-EN’s global expansion, personally visiting over 50 cities to strengthen client relationships in 30 countries. An INSEAD MBA graduate, he blends tradition, innovation, and international expertise to drive the company's growth.

Second Year Delegate (2022, 2025)

U.S. Diplomat (U.S. Foreign Service Officer),
U.S. Department of State;
Founder, Expeditionary Mindset

(Bangkok, Thailand)

Roshni Nirody leads the International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs Office at the U.S. Embassy in Bangkok. A member of the U.S. Foreign Service, her previous diplomatic assignments were in Indonesia, Portugal, Japan, Iraq, and India. Prior to joining the State Department, Roshni worked for several Silicon Valley firms as a demographer and for the National Geographic Channel while on a Thomas J. Watson Fellowship. Her experiences working on plant medicine projects with nomadic tribes in Burma and nine other countries are the subject of National Geographic’s documentary, The Next Wave. Roshni has a master’s degree from Cornell University and an undergraduate degree from Washington and Lee University.

Second Year Delegate (2024, 2025)

CEO and Principal Artist, Chalk Riot;
Arts in Transportation Consultant

(Washington, DC)

Chelsea Marie Ritter-Soronen is public artist and small business owner committed to collective exploration of the ground as canvas. Based in Washington, DC, she is the CEO and Principal Artist of Chalk Riot, an all-women mural production house specializing in pavement art. Their work has been featured by PBS Newshour, the Washingtonian, The Washington Post, and National Public Radio. She has been a TedX and Bloomberg CityLab speaker, Seeds of Peace Gather Fellow, and Resident Teaching Artist of the Moonshot Studio at John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Chelsea is currently pursuing a master’s in Sustainable Transportation.

Second Year Delegate (2024, 2025)

Journalist
Nikkei Inc.

(Palo Alto, CA)

Uran Sasaki has been a journalist at Nikkei Inc. since 2006 and is part of the Cultural News Group in Tokyo. She covers a wide range of arts and culture, with a particular focus on the performing arts sector, including Kabuki, Bunraku, Kyogen, Rakugo, modern theater, and musicals. She has written theater reviews and covered significant events such as the succession of Danjuro Ichikawa, the 100th anniversary of the Takarazuka Revue, and the overseas performances of Man Nomura. She holds a B.A. in Economics and completed the Research Student Program at the Interfaculty Initiative in Information Studies at The University of Tokyo.

Second Year Delegate (2024, 2025)

Associate Professor, Graduate School of Law, University of the Ryukyus;
Counsel, Kollect Partners Law Offices, LPC

(Nishihara, Okinawa)

Atsushi Shiraki is an associate professor at the University of the Ryukyus Law School, and a divorce lawyer qualified in Japan, New York, and Maryland. His academic interests include conflict of laws, family law, and transnational litigation. While teaching these subjects as a professor in Okinawa, he, as a practitioner, represents numerous clients in transnational divorce disputes, especially between the U.S. and Japan, based in Tokyo. As a board member of Human Rights Watch, Tokyo, he also engages in pro bono work to seek accountability for human rights violations against North Korea.

Second Year Delegate (2024, 2025)

East Asia Bureau Chief
The Economist

(Tokyo)

Noah Sneider is The Economist’s East Asia Bureau Chief. He primarily covers Japan, North Korea and South Korea. He also contributes to coverage of China, Taiwan, the Pacific and the Philippines and to broader thematic coverage of Asia. Prior to this he led the paper’s coverage of Japan as Tokyo Bureau Chief. He also covered Russia and Ukraine as the Moscow Correspondent. Before joining The Economist, he reported for a range of publications, including The New York Times, Harper’s, and The Atlantic, among others. His work has been anthologized in the Best American Travel Writing series. He is the recipient of a MacDowell Fellowship. He is a member of the third generation in his family to live and work in Japan and Korea.

Second Year Delegate (2024, 2025)

Founder & CEO
Proper Beverage Company/Rice Vice Hospitality

(Nashville, TN)

Byron Stithem is the Founder and Master Brewer at Proper Sake and Koji Beer Company, as well as the co-founder of Rice Vice Hospitality. Rice Vice aims to promote community through fermentation and “third place” establishments across the U.S. while supporting Japanese producers and business development, state-side.  He also serves on the Board of Directors for the Sake Brewers Association of North America and is a certified sake scholar.

Second Year Delegate (2024, 2025)

Professor, Graduate School of Public Policy, Tohoku University (Seconded);
(Assistant Commissioner, National Police Agency)

(Sendai, Miyagi)

Seconded from the National Police Agency, Naoko Udagawa is currently working as a Professor at the Graduate School of Public Policy at Tohoku University, where she teaches public policy. In the field of law enforcement, she has rich experience in international and foreign affairs, such as strengthening cross border cooperation on tackling transnational organized fraud as well as carrying out joint operations on busting technological leakage in coordination with foreign law enforcement and intelligence agencies. She also demonstrated leadership as the first female police executive of Toyama and Nagano prefectural police forces. Naoko earned an M.P.P. from Kyoto University and M.I.A. from Columbia University.

Second Year Delegate (2024, 2025)

District 17 Council Member, Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County;
Partnerships Director, API Middle TN

(Nashville, TN)

Terry Vo is a trailblazing advocate for social change and racial justice. With a dynamic career spanning government, nonprofits, and the corporate sector across three continents, she made history as the first Vietnamese American elected to the Metro Council, where she proudly represents District 17. She also serves as the Partnerships Director for API Middle Tennessee, strengthening connections and advancing equity for the API community. She graduated with a B.A. from the University of Arkansas and an MGPP from the University of Queensland, where she attended as a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar. She lives in Nashville, TN, where she serves on the Nashville Predators GUIDER and the Friends of Fort Negley Board of Directors. She is the co-founder of the Beautiful Bookworms Book Club and enjoys traveling, gardening, cooking, and live performances.

Second Year Delegate (2024, 2025)

Founder
NPO WELgee

(Kawaguchi, Saitama)

Sayaka Watanabe is the founder of WELgee, a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering the rebuilding of refugees' lives in Japan. Her journey began in Bangladesh, where, during her university years, she engaged with local NGOs in conflict zones and interned with UNDP on peace-building projects, witnessing firsthand the plight of individuals forsaken by their governments. Leading the "WELgee Talents" initiative, she connects refugee talent with Japanese companies, fostering mutual growth and understanding. Sayaka was recognized as a Forbes 30 Under 30 laureate for Japan/Asia. She has completed her Master's in Human Security at the University of Tokyo. She is also a member of the Global Shapers Tokyo hub, a TV news commentator, and co-representative of the Japan Association of New Public (JANP).